Murder suspect apprehended as officers use stun grenades in raid

A 28-YEAR-OLD man from Swindon has been arrested on suspicion of murdering 60-year-old Tom Rogers after an armed police raid tonight.

Before 6.20pm officers including armed police and plain clothes arrived at Southbrook Street extension and Churchward Avenue to secure the area before a larger contingent arrived at the address at around 8pm, along with the police helicopter.

Cornwall Avenue and Devon Road were also on lockdown as police encircled the property.

Witnesses at the scene reported officers attempting to enter via the front door before hurling stun grenades into the property on Southbrook Street extension and entering via the window.

The man was removed from the scene by forensic officers wearing full gear, and the property remains under police cordon.

One resident of Churchward Avenue reported hearing a number of sharp shots after officers entered the property, which may have been the grenades going off within the house.

As the smoke cleared, the suspect was taken into custody and remains at Gablecross police station.

“I returned home from work at about 6.20pm and there were a great many police outside my house,” said a resident on Churchward Avenue, who declined to be named.

Related links

“The house they were closing off was on the Southbrook extension, and it seemed like they were sussing the place out. Then at about 8pm a lot of cars came screaming round outside my house, and the next thing we knew they were smashing their way in to the house and I heard what seemed to be shots, about 20 or so going off.

“The whole road has been cordoned off so it seems to have been a very serious incident.”

“They went in through the window first of all and threw in a few stun grenades,” he said. “One tried to get through the front door but couldn’t get access, and they all had some hefty guns on them. The officers who brought the suspect out were wearing full forensic gear.

“We thought initially the noises were shots but I think they were the sounds of the stun grenades. There was a great deal of smoke coming out of the house and they went in shortly afterwards with a fire extinguisher.”

The man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after Aulton ‘Tom’ Rogers, of Walcot, was stabbed multiple times on the cycle path between the Oasis Leisure Centre and Station Road on Thursday evening.

He is also arrested on suspicion of a separate incident of robbery and grievous bodily harm at the same location on May 8 this year.